Letter From Liberty Jail

In 1839 Joseph Smith wrote a letter to the church from the depths of Liberty Jail. He was writing to give the body of the church guidance and counsel, but how could he establish ethos from just writing a simple letter? The first two paragraphs of the letter are used very effectively in this pursuit.

In the first sentence Joseph establishes himself as a servant to the the church. He says "Your humble servant [...] prisoner for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the Saints, taken and held by the power of mobocracy, under [an] exterminating reign." The Latter Day Saint reader immediately faces social suicide if they question Joseph's credibility, because at the same time they would be questioning Christ's credibility. He calls himself their humble servant. Of course you are going to respect and listen to the words of someone who is serving you. He also calls himself a prisoner for Christ's sake. The Saints live for Christs sake, and they will likewise give their full attention to someone who says they are suffering for Christ. Joseph establishes ethos by establishing himself as someone that has the exact same beliefs as the Saints in Nauvoo. It is much the same reason as why someone listens to their parents. For the most part, parents have the same thinking, rationale, and beliefs as their children.

Joseph goes on to shower the Saints with blessings like knowledge and faith. It is clear that he only wants what is best for the fledgling church, and at this point a reader cannot deny that. The reader (with or without knowing it) is probably in full awe of Joseph's authoritative figure. It is hard to disrespect someone that is giving you candy bars. By bestowing blessing upon the Saints he is simultaneously earning their confidence and trust.

In the second paragraph Joseph describes his dire situation. He says "we have been taken prisoners charged falsely with every kind of evil, and thrown into prison, enclosed with strong walls, surrounded with a strong wall." He goes on to compare the jail guard to the devil. By doing this he establishes the wickedness of the opposing party. It makes the reader think it would be a sin to support them. By pointing out that he has been falsely charged, it makes it seem okay for the reader to be on Joseph's side. They might not want to be on his side however, if he had been rightly charged for a real crime. This further establishes his "good guy" ethos.

In the end however, Joseph would most like have good ethos no matter what. First of all, he is the prophet, and he is writing to people who believe that. He is in good standing among the Saints which gives him authority and influence. This letter catalyzes the building of his ethos by identifying with the reader, and establishing an authoritative voice that the Saints listen to.